Glove



Aug. 24, 1948. I DFELT 2,447,951

GLOVE Filed May 22, 1946 fizz/e22 f r: Edward 6. Z ind/ Patented Aug. 24, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLOVE Edward C. Lindtelt, Des Moines, Iowa Application May 22, 1946, Serial No. 671,556

8 Claims.

This invention relatesto gloves, and particularly to gloves having a relatively non-elastic palm or front and an elastic back.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a glove which will fit different sized hands, and which will readily conform to the hand as it is doubled or clinched. In ordinary gloves in which both the front and back are nonelastic, when the hand is doubled or clinched, the outer surface of the hand becomes in effect elongated and, in order to have the glove conform thereto, additional material must be drawn upon. The only place where this additional material is available is in the palm, and in compensating for the lack of material on the back of the hand, it must move around the edges of the hand on to the back.

The most perfect covering for the hand is, of course, the skin, which stretches and retracts as the hand takes on different shapes. The present invention approaches the skin in that respect. When the contour of the hand becomes greater, the material expands or stretches, and the material on the palm of the hand does not have to slip or slide around to the back as described above, but will remain in place and follow the hand when it is clinched. When the hand is straightened out, the elastic back retracts to its original condition. The tendency is always in this direction, whereby the palm or front of the glove, and in fact the whole glove, is retained in a snug fitting condition on the hand.

In many games, particularly golf, the feel of the glove is important in grasping a'golf club.

The glove must fit as perfectly as possible for best' results, and if the glove or any .part or the glove shifts or moves in grasping the club, the control thereover isimpaired.

In order to carry out this purpose, the elastic back of the glove is made stretchable in two directions, that is, transversely across the hand, and longitudinally along the hand as well. In my previous Patent No, 2,314,545, dated March 23, 1943, I disclose a glove having a back which is stretchable transversely across the hand. How

ever, the present invention having a back which is stretchable in both directions, is a decided improvement thereover.

As much as possible of the back should be of elastic material, and that includes the thumb,

and base of the thumb. "The whole back'of the hand with the thumb constitutes quite an expanse of elastic material; I interpose a reinforcing non-elastic strip, such as leather, from the fore finger to the wrist, dividing the back of the hand proper from the thumb. This strip strengthens the back, while still permitting complete flexibility thereof.

Another added feature of the present invention is that since the back of the thumb is fabric material, another reinforcing strip is formed in the thumb adjacent the edge of the palm thereof. A golf club would normally come in contact with the fabric at this point, but the reinforcing strip prevents this, and consequent undue wear of the fabric.

Another advantageous feature of the present invention is that the edges of the fabric forming the back of the hand are all sealed or covered by the leather palm, preventing raw edges of the fabric from being exposed, which increases its life and produces a better appearing article.

Another advantageous feature is that where two pieces of leather are bound together, such as the fourchettes with the palm, the seams are turned out, leaving smooth edges for contact with the fingers. Also, each fourchette itself is a continuous strip from one side of each finger to the other, having no seams therein to irritate the wearer and adjacent fourchettes on adjacent fingers are sewed with outturned seams. Near the tips of the fingers, the seams are inturned to present a finer and more finished appearance. At

7 this point the seams do not'bear with such pressure on the finger and it is therefore not necessary to have the seams turned out.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various elements of the glove whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter. more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the back of the Figure 2 is a perspective view of the palm;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the thumb -and a portion of the remainder of the glove;

Figure 4is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2; l

Figure 5' is a sectional view taken on line 5- 5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the glove includes a palm l2 of leather or other relatively non-stretchable material having usual extensions [4 forming the frontsurfaces of the finger stalls, and an extension 16 forming the front surface, of the thumb stall. The back portion of the glove is 3 indicated in its entirety by the numeral I8, and comprises a main part covering the back of the hand proper, and integral extensions 22 for forming the back surfaces of the four finger stalls. Another portion 24 covers the back of the thumb and extends from the tip of the thumb to the wrist. A longitudinal strip 26 of leather, or the same material of which the palm is made, is secured at 28 to the edge of the palm at the base of the forefinger, and leads upwardly and. terminates at the wrist. The portions 20 and 24 may be one piece and the strip 26 sewed thereto, or these portions may ibe separate pieces secured together by the strip 26.

The back portion I8 is of elastic material, as

above mentioned, and is two-way stretch mate-- rial, that is, it stretches in cross-directions. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic material I8 is arranged so that the directions of stretching are longitudinally of the-hand and transversely of the hand. The present invention includes arranging the elastic material I8 so that the directions of stretching are diagonal, or, in other words, on the bias, if that should become desirable.

As is common inmaking gloves, fourchettes 30 enclose the sides of the finger stalls, and are secured to thewedges of the extensions M of the palm, and to theextensions 22 of the elastic material I8. These fourchettes are preferably leather or relatively non-stretchable material and eachis a single, continuous piece-extending from the base of the finger completely around the finger to the base of the finger on the opposite side; adjacentfourchettes are secured: together by outturned seam-s The seams 32 between the-fourchettes 30 and the front surfaces M of the finger stallsare also out-turned", as shown in Figures 2 and 4, to present' a smooth surface for contacting the fingers. Toward thetips of the fingers these seams are turned in, as indicated at 34- in Figures 2 and 6. The inturned seams at the tips of the fingers present a finer and smoother appearance, and it is not soessential at this point for presenting a smoothsurface formed by outturned seams toward the fingers.

The seams indicated at 36 between the fourchettes 30 and extensions 22- of the elastic material are lap seams, as shown. in Figures 1 and 4, for enclosing the raw edges of the elastic material so that they are not exposed to wear and consequent fraying. These continuous lap seams 36' extending around the fingers furnish moccasin tips, which add to the gloves appearance.- Although the material, making up the fourchettes isrelatively non-elastic, it can be worked to the shape of the finger tips. Otherseams between the non-elastic material andthe elastic material are la'p seams-for enclosing the edges of the elastic material. These seams include those made by the strip l6, and the seam 38 between the palm and the elastic portion 24, as well as the seam between the palm-and the elastic portion 20 on the opposite side of the hand.

Due to the fact that the elastic material which is in the form of a fabric is more subject to wear than the leather, a strip 40 issecured at the point 28 to the front piece or palm alongthe thumb, to and around the tip thereof, as indicated at 42.. The edge of the palm at this point is the edge of the single piece of materialformingthe front of the glove, and does not extend around the thumb sufii'ciently to protect the fabric or elastic material 24 when the user grasps a golf club. Therefore, this strip 40 furnishes that additional bearing surface desired.

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the fourth finger employing only one fourchette 44. The same is true of the forefinger, since on one side of the finger the material forming the palm is brought around far enough to furnish the side surface.

The upper part of the back piece 20 is split as shown at 46, and the tips formed thereby at the wrist are provided with a snap 48 for securing them together after the glove is put on. The edges of the split portion 46, and the margin of the glove at the wrist, are turned in to form a seam or furnished with a binding material to preserve the edges of the elastic material.

A snug fit is desired in sports, such as golf, and it is not always possible to obtain gloves to fit-ea'ch sized hand. The elastic material l8 enables any particular size of glove to fit different sizes of hands within certain limits. In addition, leather. gloves, although normally relatively nonstretchable, stretch to a certain degree after periods of use. The elastic material l8 serves to keep the glove fitting snugly on the whole hand, including the fingers and thumb. When the hand is doubled or clinched, the back of the hand assumes a greater dimension, and in the case of gloves having a non-elastic back, the material inorder to follow the hand as it is clinched, must bedrawn from the top at the wrist or from the palm around the fingers; in such a case when the user has grasped a golf club and doubles his hand, the material on the front surface of the hand slides and prevents him from obtaining an accurate hold. In the present case as the hand is doubled, the elastic material l8 stretches and follows the back surface of the hand and the front surfaces M of the finger stalls follow the front surface of the fingers and do not slide thereon. Stretching longitudinally of the hand is more effective forv enabling the glove to conform to the hand, as described above, than stretching transversely of the glove, although stretching transversely of the glove aids considerably in permitting the glove to conform to the hand. Both directions of stretching aid in enabling the glove to fit difierent sized hands.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, manifestly it is capable .of modification and rearrangement of elements without departing from. the spirit and scope thereof. I do not therefore wish to be understood as limiting. this invention to-the precise form herein disclosed, except as I may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a glove of the class described; a relatively non-elastic palm, and a back portion of elastic material; said back portion covering substantially the whole back of the hand and the back. of the thumb, said elastic material being stretchable in a direction longitudinally of the. hand, anda reinforcing. member of relatively non-elastic material leading from the palm of the forefinger to the wrist, dividing the elastic material on the back of. the hand and thumb into separate portions.

2'. In a glove of the classdescribed, a .relatively non-elastic palm, and. a back portion of elastic material, said. back'portion coveringsubstantially the whole back of the hand and the backof the thumb, said elastic material being stretchable in directions longitudinally and transversely of the hand, and areinforcing membertof relatively non-stretchable material leading from the palm of the forefinger to the wrist, dividing the elastic material on the back of the hand and thumb into separate portions.

3. A glove of the class described, comprising, a relatively non-elastic palm, and an elastic back, said elastic back being two-way stretch material, said elastic back covering substantially the whole back of the hand and the back of the thumb, and a reinforcing relatively non-elastic strip leading from the forefinger to the wrist, dividing the elastic material on the back of the hand and thumb into separate portions.

4. A glove of the class described, comprising, a relatively non-elastic palm, and an elastic back, said elastic back being two-Way stretch material, said elastic back covering substantially the whole back of the hand and the back of the thumb, a reinforcing relatively non-elastic strip leading from the forefinger to the wrist, dividing the elastic material on the back of the hand and thumb into separate portions, and a reinforcing strip leading from the forefinger to the tip of the thumb and joining the non-elastic material of the palm and the elastic material on the back of the thumb.

5. A glove of the class described, comprising, a non-elastic palm, an elastic back portion covering the back of the hand and the four fingers, said elastic material being two-way stretch material, and fourchettes of non-elastic material on the sides of the four finger stalls secured to the palm material and the back material, the fourchette for each finger stall being continuous, and the adjacent fourchettes being secured together at the base of adjacent finger stalls, the seams between adjacent fourchettes being out-turned.

6. A glove of the class described, comprising, a leather palm, a two-Way stretch fabric back portion covering the back of the hand and the four fingers, and leather fourchettes on the sides of the four finger stalls secured to the palm material and the back material, the fourchette for each finger stall being continuous and the adjacent fourchettes being secured together at the base of adjacent finger stalls, the seams between the fourchettes and the palm material being outturned from the base of the finger stalls to points near the tips thereof, and being inturned around the tips thereof.

7. A glove of the class described, comprising, a leather palm, a back piece of fabric material covering substantially the whole back of the hand, the back of the four fingers and the back of the thumb, the leather palm being secured to the fabric back piece on the outer side thereof to enclose the edges of the fabric back piece and prevent fraying thereof, the upper part of the fabric back piece being split longitudinally of the hand, the marginal edges of the split portion and the marginal edge of the back piece at the wrist having binding material secured thereto, and snap means for securing the marginal edges of the split portion together.

8. A glove of the class described, comprising a relatively non-elastic palm, said palm having an outline shape defining the shape of the glove, and a back portion of elastic material, said elastic material being of substantially the same outline shape as said palm and covering the whole back of the hand, thumb and fingers, to points closely adjacent the tips of the thumb and fingers, said elastic material being stretchable in directions transversely and longitudinally of the hand.

EDWARD C. LINDFELT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

